Anaheim Ducks: Should the Ducks lure Shea Theodore back?

The Anaheim Ducks 2018-19′ D-core looks to be pretty easy to project at this point in time. With numerous names returning and a couple young guns poised to break through the six slots look to be locked in. But should the Ducks bring back an old friend who remains unsigned?

Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Montour, Josh Manson, Andrej Sustr, and one of Marcus Pettersson or Jacob Larrson. This looks to be your Anaheim Ducks D-core as we approach just weeks before the season begins. The top four are young, have big game experience and are all ready to take the next step in their progression. Andrej Sustr is a veteran who has been on some deep Tampa Bay runs and can provide the snarl the Ducks D-core need and help bring along a young d-man in Marcus Pettersson or Jacob Larsson. By all accounts, the Ducks D-core should be a well-oiled machine and huge strength of the team. But there is a defenseman that remains unsigned, and a defenseman the Ducks and Ducks fans know very well. Shea Theodore.

Bitter Sweet

As every Ducks fan knows Shea Theodore was a casualty of the Vegas expansion draft. To protect the likes of Manson and Sami Vatanen at the time GM Bob Murray struck a deal with Vegas GM George McPhee. McPhee and the Knights would leave those young D-men untouched and take Clayton Stoner in the expansion draft. The Ducks would, in turn, send Shea Theodore to the Knights as a thank you for taking the big contract of the slow, most times out of place Stoner. The Ducks saw it as a way to shed salary and had plenty of young defensemen in the pipeline. But with him on the market is it worth it to bring him back?

What Will it Take?

Theodore is coming off his entry-level deal. This deal paid him $863,333 per year for 3 years. Theodore will be looking for more no doubt but not big time money. Last season with Vegas he played in 61 games and posted a line of 6-23-29. In the playoffs, he played in 20 games posting 10 points. Solid numbers but not All-Star numbers yet. Theodore is a great offensive defenseman but his defensive zone play needs work. He is a +6 for his career in the NHL but seeing him play in Anaheim, at times got caught up ice allowing the opposition odd man rushes.

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That’s something you always want to limit and you don’t want to pay someone who struggles in that regard. I believe Theodore could be locked up for three years at two million per. According to Cap Friendly’s Offer Sheet Calculator if the Ducks up it to 2,029,660 per they would send a 2nd round pick to Vegas for next years draft as compensation.

Worth it?

Fast forward a year. And while the likes of Montour, Pettersson, and Larsson should be on the Ducks roster. Vatanen is in New Jersey after a trade for Adam Henrique and the question becomes this really, Andrej Sustr or Shea Theodore? Do the Ducks want a big NHL veteran on their blue line. Someone that can allow the young defensemen to flourish and play their game. Or do they want to bring back a young gun and roll with a D core that will all be aged in their 20’s? Both have their pros and cons but it would be interesting if the Ducks look to go this way. The Hockey Writers posted today that a deal is not close between the Knights and Theodore. So now is the time to pounce if the Ducks want to but is it worth a high-end draft pick to bring Shea back to SoCal? If they decide to pull the trigger it would create a logjam on the blue line. But does that open the door for the Ducks to send a young D-man in a package for someone in Columbus?

What do you think Ducks Fans? Let us know in the comments and on Facebook/Twitter!